According to this in yesterday's Observer www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/ ... rt-shakeup Apologies if already posted, couldn't see it. So is this the end of the Challenge Cup?

According to this in yesterday's Observer www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/ ... rt-shakeup Apologies if already posted, couldn't see it. So is this the end of the Challenge Cup?

The word is that the CC may be droipped from the 'obligatory' list, that's all. There's nothing to stop the BBC still showing it, or the RFL from selling the Beeb the rights.

The cretins who seem to be in charge of 'deliberations' want sacking though, if they genuinely believe that the Challenge Cup Final, like the Derby, do not have "special national resonance", whereas a first round Wimbledon tennis match on Court 73 between a Bulgarian and a Filipino apparently does resonate in the English soul.

How does the CCF not have as much "special national resonance" as Wales or NI playing in World Cup qualifiers, then?

The lobbying undertaken by the Beeb and ITV to get this list changed is an appalling piece of opportunism attempting to get live sport on the cheap IMO.

It would be interesting to see whether someone like the Welsh Rugby Union would consider taking legal action in the European Court if they were effectively forbidden from selling the rights to their home games to anyone other than a free-to-air broadcaster.

If the Challenge Cup ends up on pay TV, then IMO it has lost the only reason for keeping it alive and should be scrapped in order to reduce the length of the season.

It's the ONLY true RL competition left in this country that has interest for all.

Kill that and the game will be on an even more steepened decline in interest at all levels.

It has an "interest for all"?

Someone ought to tell the fans of clubs at all levels who seem to have given up on the competition until it reaches the Final.

Eammon Holmes

Great - let`s scrap a tournament which actually means something to the community as 30k Warrington fans proved ...

Should imagine the BBC will still want to broacast the CC, the only difference now, Sky will be able to bid for the game, the downside is you will have to pay to watch if Sky get it.

Flatcapper





[size=59I completely agree, as you can imagine.[/size

You could say the same about the play-offs, and even then the final isn't a sell out. Shall we scrap that as well?

But that isn't in free to air tv, which is the matter in hand

The comment I quoted was in relation to interest in the competition and attendance levels, rather than it's television coverage.

If sky outbid the bbc is that really such a bad thing? Isnt it just more money coming into the sport?
We really need more internationals on free tv. The four nations should have been on the bbc. I know the aussie game was but this weeks final and the kiwi game could have been watched by a few million but instead will only be seen by 200k diehard RL fans in the north of england. We complain at not getting enough coverage in the media but warrington and huddersfield playing for a cup isnt going to interest many non RL fans and is going to be hard to justify filling a section in a national paper for. If its England thats playing and winning it will.

The upside would possibly be the BBC will splash more cash on the event if they want it bringing more money into the rfl to do something with the clubs to improve attendances in the comp.

But the whole basis of the thread is about television coverage.

Yet the comment that I quoted mentioned nowt of television coverage. Topics do tend to drift somewhat, you know. Jesus wept.

Just doing my bit to keep it off drift before tb gets here

'before tb gets here'?

I'm both omnipresent and omniscient.

There's a big difference between not selling out Old Trafford and clubs pulling in around 50% of their average home gate for Challenge Cup ties.

Maybe Quadrivium would be better asking where those 30k Warrington fans had been in the earlier rounds?

Let's wait and see what happens to the BBC if the Conservatives win the next election. There was no sign of any adverse reaction from Conservative Central Office after the Shadow Minister of Culture (or whatever he's called) talked about modifying or even tearing up the BBC's charter in a recent interview. If they do emasculate (or possibly close) the BBC then Sky will be the only company interested in us. NOT a good thing.

Sky won't bid for the challenge cup. It wouldn't be of any benefit to them.

care to expand on that? its not as plenty of people dont watch the cup and if people watch theres advertising revenue to be made.

I actually think that this a good thing for Rugby League. It allows the RFL to get a true market value for the Challenge Cup and stops them being held to ransom by the BBC. In addition they still have the option of keeping it on terrestrial TV if they wish.

IF the challenge cup becomes open to satellite broadcasters it actually may kick some life into the comp.

The RFL could no longer ignore the comp as opportunities open up for the RFL.

For example

1 You could easily sell split coverage between terrestrial and satellite and get both to broadcast the final.

2 You could merge the magic weekend and the last 16 of the comp which would free up a weekend and all the magic fixtures could be shown across 2 channels.

This would perhaps be an extra stimulus to the early stages of the cup for a team to make a showpiece event and give the magic games a competitive edge that it lacks.

3 IF you also seed the top 7 in sl and the nl1 champs into the last 16 you can make the draw as soon as the regular season finishes with 8 qualifier balls.

This would further reduce 2 games on players making the playoffs.